Elves in Hightown
by I'mprettyawesome
Summary: How could two seemingly harmless elves, a local crime lord, and the Heroes of Ferelden all be tied together? And what will happen when their secrets are revealed? Will Hawke be able to save Kirkwall from certain doom when saving the city means losing everything she holds dear? Read to find out! Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello out there to all you peoples reading this! I've been stabbed with the dagger of impassable writer's block on both Irresitible and Hawke's Crazy Crow-filled Christmas. Grrr! So I'm working on this to maybe free up my mind or something and I hope y'all likes it! Please R&R, it makes me so happy with myself and I get this warm jelly feeling in my heart and... I'll stop now because this sounds kind of creepy.**

* * *

I can't believe what this crazy human is saying. She promises my sister and I a 'new life'. But does this new life include living in a fancy mansion in Hightown as she says, or will it involve scrubbing the floors of some Tevinter magister? Is this woman going to sell me into slavery or will she actually find me a new life? I can only hope she's no slaver, for accepting her offer may be the only chance at life, for me and my five-year old sister.

* * *

My name is Elerath, and I am thirteen. The last I remember, my hair was a beautiful silver-black color, my eyes were a dazzling wolf grey, and my skin was described as 'wintry cream'. I just like to say I had milky skin. I'm sure I've gotten more tan, though, and I haven't had a bath in so long. My hair is probably a knotted, greasy coal-colored mess devoid of all its previous shimmer and shine. I used to be told I was pretty. Now I'm told to get lost.

My sister's name is Maveria. As previously mentioned, she's five, and even covered in grime (who isn't in the alienage?) she's adorable. She has the cutest little lopsided grin that shows all of her surprisingly white teeth. Oh, and her hair! The girl has miles of it! It reaches all the way down to her skinny little knees. Wherever she goes, she has a train of raven hair bouncing around behind her. She's begged me to cut it, but hair cuts are expensive and I won't use my dagger's precious sharpness on things like hair.

We've been orphans since the Blight, when our father died on the ship we took across the ocean. Our Mother supposedly died fighting off a dragon so my worthless Father and my sister could escape the Blight. That's what I was told, at least, by my Father and I learned never to trust him. I don't see why we couldn't have just exiled our Father and stayed with the Dalish, but that is neither here nor there. Truthfully, I'm glad the old bastard's dead and gone.

* * *

Maveria is bouncing around and looking up at me with her amethyst purple eyes. I can tell she's trying to convince me to go with this woman, and it's almost working. Almost, but not quite. She doesn't know the dangers of slavers. What if this woman is a slaver? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Maveria was sold into a lifetime of abuse. Still, this offer of a home, warm food, fresh clothes, and maybe even a bath... it seems so foolish to give all of that up just for caution.

* * *

The lady seems to sense my thoughts and she kneels down to me, and looks at me with kind but stern green eyes. I take a moment to reflect on the rarity of bright ginger hair like hers, but my eyes quickly dart to her hands, which she's placing on my shoulders. I jerk away, I didn't mean to, but I did, and I turn my head in shame. I've probably just ruined a perfect chance at life by my stupid actions. The woman behind the ginger-haired lady, a tan woman with black hair and rather large breasts, speaks up then in a smooth and almost purring voice, but also a voice that gives away her sadness and disappointment at not being able to help. She says,"Face the facts, Man-Hands, you've scared the poor child and you can't help her without submission. Scared people don't want to be helped by scary people." The one the big-breasted woman called 'Man-Hands' stands and says "I suppose not" in a voice that almost makes me tremble. She's a little bit scary, I'll admit that, but I also sense she's very kind and gentle to those she wants to help or to her loved ones. They turn to go and I watch them, a deep feeling I recognize well stirring in my gut. That feeling is disappointment. I don't know who I'm disappointed in, maybe me, or those women, or maybe even my sister. The feeling rises up through me in an odd way though, rushing like a river to my mouth where it abruptly stops and coils up. Just as I think it's gone, it returns, and I think I will wretch. I open my mouth to empty my stomach of this feeling the hard way, but instead of bile, a single word rushes out.

"_Wait!"_ I scream, not even realising that I'm screaming, and I'm almost mortified that I have the guts to go around shouting at random humans.

* * *

The big-breasted woman turns, grabbing Man-Hands shoulder and almost pulling her along, she comes back and kneels to face me, a rather sincere look pasted on her face. She is trying to feign calmness, but I can tell she's excited.

"Do you want to come with us?" I bite my lip, wanting to hold back my truthful answer, wanting to lie; but the way she looks at me, I just can't. I violently nod my head and rush into her arms, hugging her as tightly as I can. I feel like a foolish little girl and I try to pull away so as not to embarrass myself further, but the lady hugs me back, and it feels good to be hugged. I feel her pick me up and until right at this moment, I didn't realise how skinny and weightless I really am. She holds me gently, and speaks to me in her purring voice,

"I'm Isabela. That's Aveline. What's your name, sweet thing?" I feel this odd drowsiness coming over me.

"I'm Elerath. Ella, if my real name is too formal for you. And the girl bouncing around, oh, what was her name, oh yeah, Aveline, is my sister, Maveria." I yawned and felt my eyes getting heavy as Isabela shifted me so both her and I were more comfortable.

* * *

We have been walking for what seems like ages. I'm only kept awake by the bouncing as Isabela walks. Now my vision is getting fuzzy... I think I'll ignore the bouncing and take a little nap.

**A/N #2: QUICK EVERYONE! Post a DA story! ME is beating us in fanfic number! WE MUST REMAIN VIGILANT IN THIS HOUR OF NEED! WRITERS QUICK POST YOUR STORIES!**


	2. Chapter 2: Scrubbing Up

**A/N: WOW I didn't realise it took me so long to get this out! I apologize, and I hope that I can start posting chapters sooner. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/faved! U guys rock! ;) **

* * *

As my eyes flutter open from a deep and very refreshing nap, I notice two things; first, I'm in a bed, a soft, warm, wonderful bed, and second, wherever I am, it smells really bad. I groan and turn over, relishing the warmth of the thick, red quilt thrown over me and I feel my head sink in to the lovely feather pillows. I throw my arm over to the other side of the bed, and immediately freeze when I hit a warm bundle of life on the other side of the bed and realise I have just done the unthinkable.

I just hit Maveria while she was sleeping.

That may not seem like such a big deal, but Maveria does something if she's jostled in her sleep. I squeeze my face up, hoping and praying to the gods above that she doesn't do it. A few seconds pass, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe she won't do it.

Wait.

Warm liquid, with a very unpleasant smell is covering the bed and trickling around us in little rivers.

She did it.

Maveria just wet the bed.

* * *

I roll out of bed so I won't get wet, and so that my already stained clothes won't get even more dingy. I don't need Mavi's pee decorating my pants, thank you very much.

I see a bundle of clothes thrown over a chair and I assume they're for me. I also see a little lamp with a small flame in it, so I pick it up and hold it near the clothes, searching for a note. Sure enough, a small scrap of yellowing paper is setting on top. It has large, bold black letters on it. I squint in the dim light and try to make out the letters. **E-L-L-A**. Yup, the bundle's for me.

* * *

I make my way around the nicely furnished room, lighting some lamps and taking note of the furniture. It's all oddly small. Perhaps this room belongs to a dwarf?  
I move some of the books and papers to an already cluttered desk and spread out the clothes on the low table. From all the playing cards on this cluttered little table, I can tell that whoever owns this room is an avid Diamondback and Wicked Grace player. Also, they are a cheater. Half of these cards are marked. Big surprise, if it is a dwarf. You can't trust those dwarves when it comes to cards.

* * *

I look at the clothes spread out on the table. There's a green dress, that looks like it's made of cotton and the hem is adorned with a golden spindleweed design. It goes roughly down to my knees but it's a little bit big, so I set it on a separate pile of clothes that I'm not going to wear. I also set aside all the skirts. I will never, ever wear a skirt. They make me look like a- well, let's just say they don't look good on me and leave it at that, shall we?

* * *

I've sifted through the clothes and found a very nice sleeveless white shirt that fits me almost perfectly. I'm also wearing black leather pants and boots that feel like they were made from Dalish cloth. They're a very pretty shade of grey, and I can only imagine how expensive they must have been. I quickly put my dirty hair back into a messy braid. I see a white-marble basin and a mirror on a small vanity. I take my little lamp with me, and nervously slide onto the bench. What will I look like after all these years? It's been at least a decade since I've seen my reflection, and that was when I was all squeaky clean. What will my appearance be under all of the dirt and grime that my skin collects during my daily life in the slums? I take a deep breath, and slide over on the bench so that I can see myself. What I see almost makes me gasp.

* * *

A dingy, disgustingly skinny elf girl stares back at me through the mirror. Her face is covered in thick layers of oddly colored mud. Her cheeks are hollow and her eyes look fearful and starved. What did Aveline and Isabela see in this ugly elven urchin that made them have pity on her? I can't rightly answer that question, and I can't bear to look at my dirty face any longer, so I grab a rough-bristled brown brush, a soft, blue, cotton washcloth, and an oddly colored bar of soap that smells minty, and I set to work.

* * *

Almost half an hour later, the water in the basin is so dirty it could turn even the less weak-stomached nobles green. My arms are red from my vigorous scrubbing, and my skin burns a little, but I'm finally ready to look at my reflection again.

I'm surprised at how much better I look.

Sure, I'm still painfully skinny and my hair is less than divine, but I look a little bit more like a civilized young elf and less like a barbaric street whelp.

I think I'm ready to find Isabela and Aveline now. I need to tell them Mavi wet the bed. And I could use a meal.

* * *

I open the door to the room I slept in and a blast of noise hits me like a particularly harsh gust of wind. I realise that I'm in a tavern. A very busy tavern, at that.

Finding them in this giant tavern will certainly be an adventure. And not necessarily one I look forward to.


	3. Chapter 3: She Radiates Crazy

**A/N: Guess what. I hate my teacher. Writing this in class and he finds it and rips it into shreds! What happened to the good ol' days when all that happened was you got detention/lunch hour? Sigh, pout. Self pity. Et cetera, et cetera. Which I think means 'and more' in Latin. Pistrix means 'shark'.**

* * *

I carefully weave my way around tables, avoiding the occasional dirty, drunk man grabbing at me with relative ease. I listen to the drunken murmurs around me with amusement.

"Maker, that elf girl's pretty." From one man. I can't be sure if he's talking about me, because there are a lot of elf wenches working here and I'm not really at my best. Then again, everything looks so much better when you're sipping on a big mug of beer. Don't ask me how I know that.

"What? Who let a little elf girl wander in here?"

"She's probably just working here for a little extra coin, Burt."

"She bloody looks like she's five or six. I don't think that's legal!"

"When has the Hanged Man ever cared about the law?"

"That's true."

My blood freezes and I know exactly what 'little elf girl' they're talking about. Maveria. She must have woken up and decided to come find me. I swiftly turn around to see if I can find her in the crowd. I see her, and start elbowing my way through a flood of people who I swear weren't here a second ago.

When I finally get into hearing range of her, I hear her talking to someone with a very pleasant accent. I can't quite place where I've heard that voice before, but I _know_ I've heard it.

"Where are your parents, da'len?"

"Don't have any." Maveria says like a chirping little bird, happy as can be even in unfamiliar surroundings. "I do have a sissy."

"Where is she?"

I finally get to where my sister can see me, and her long, skinny finger immediately shoots up and points in my direction.

"Right there. She's the one in the sleeveless white shirt." The woman Maveria was talking to picks her up with surprising strength. She looks far too slender to possess such muscle. She strides right up to me and places Maveria into my arms. I see that Maveria's wearing a bright red and gold dress, so that means she saw the clothes I laid out for her. The woman gives me a sweet smile, and I notice her ears. She's a fellow elf.

"Thank you for looking out for my sister, miss..." I say, knowing I shouldn't call her 'Miss Elf' but not knowing her name.

"Oh, you don't need to call me miss. It makes me sound so_ old._ It's just Merrill. And you're welcome. We elves need to help each other out, yes da'len?" Energy radiates off of Merrill as I take in everything about her. Her pleasant smell, her pale skin, the scars on her wrists, and... her tattoos. I gasp.

"You're Dalish!" Merrill giggles and raises an eyebrow.

"Did the language give me away, or do I smell like dirt? Everyone says the Dalish smell like dirt, but I don't think it's true."

"No, no, your vallasin!" I cry, excited that I have found a Dalish kinsman in the city.

"Ah, you're a smart girl then, are you? What should I call you, smart one?" I laugh. No one has ever considered me smart. Even my Mother once admitted I was a bit uncoordinated.

"You can just call me Ella."

"All right then, Ella." I decide now might be a good time to ask about Isabela and Aveline.

"Do you know two women named Isabela and Aveline?" Merrill doesn't reply though, and she's bounding away with quite unimpressive grace. For an elf, she isn't very acrobatic.

* * *

I hear Merrill shout "Hawke" and a woman comes running up to Merrill and almost tackles her in a gigantic bear hug. The woman who is apparently Hawke laughs a big, hearty laugh.

"Hawke, I haven't seen you in forever!" Merrill says, when they detach and stand with Hawke's arm over her shoulder.

"I know! I was going to invite your over for a Hey-I've-been-living-in-a-classy-mansion-for-three-months-now party, but Mother made me go to a ball with" here Hawke paused and shuddered for dramatic effect, "the Delauncets. Ugh, they're so _Orlesian._ I almost felt like telling them that my favorite bedtime story was the story of how the Fereldans drove out the Orlesians, but I was able to resist. Barely." Merrill giggled her little giggle that sounded like little tinkling bells, and replied

"I don't know what's funnier, that or the idea that you still listen to bedtime stories."

I clear my throat behind them and they finally notice me. Merrill introduces me to Hawke and I politely ask her 'How do you do?', but she only laughs and says

"You don't need to run through the speech. But if you're really interested, I'd do a lot better if I had a beer." Maveria squirms in my arms and shouts

"Cheers!". I'm mortified, but I do have to admit that although it was embarrassing, it was also very funny and it broke the ice somewhat.

"Come on, let's get a table and I'll buy you some food." My stomach growls, and I readily accept Hawke's offer.

* * *

"Merrill, you wanna round up the gang for cards and some supper?" Merrill nods, and I'm left alone with a dozing Maveria in my lap and a Hawke sitting across from me that, although she seems very nice, radiates crazy.

"So, tell me about yourself." Hawke's voice snaps me from my almost trance-like fascination of her.

"Oh, there's nothing to tell. Name's Ella. I live in the alienage. I'm an orphan. Same old story. But you, you must have some stories to tell." Hawke chuckles.

"I do, at that. But Varric, that's one of our friends, is the story-teller. You should ask him."

I was about to initiate farther conversation, but suddenly a man came and grabbed Maveria out of my lap. He held a knife to her throat and in a menacing and gravelly voice said

"Thirty soveriegns for the child's life. The choice should be clear, should it not?" I sat on the chair, my hate and anger pulsing. Who was_ he_ to threaten _me? _

_"_I would advise you, _put her down."_ My voice took on a commanding tone on the last few words. There was going to be a fight.


	4. Chapter 4: We All Love a Good Bar Fight

**A/N: Thanks to everybody who reviewed/followed/faved, I haven't had the time to get around to thank-you PMs, but I am thankful for all of you guys nonetheless :) CRAZY last couple days that included my foot getting run over by a jeep (it hurt), getting strep throat, and getting in trouble with my teacher for something I didn't do. :( still in bed cuz of the strep and I started itching to write a new chapter so.. here ya go!**

* * *

My muscles tense, and my fists involuntarily clench. The man, who reeks of stale ale and desperation laughs a vile, gritty laugh.

"What? Put her down? Who's going to make me, you, the dirty elf bitch who looks like she just climbed out of a sewer drain?" I glance at Hawke, and see her chugging away at an ale. I stifle a snort. What kind of warrior gets drunk before a battle? It looks as if I'll be on my own.

"I'll have you know that I am not a 'bitch', ser Kidnaps-Little-Kids-For-Coin." He sneers, and I suppress the urge to violently jump at this bad-smelling fellow and pound him with my fists. "Furthermore, I would appreciate it if you did not use such foul language around my sister. I do not need her running around shouting 'bitch, bitch, bitch' at Chantry scholars." The man roars with laughter and I raise an eyebrow.

"I'd pay a sovereign to see that, I would."

"I suppose that would be pretty funny." Maker, this human is so stupid. Even a toddler from the Dalish could do a better kidnapping job than this.

Maveria watches me for a sign. I can tell she paid attention when we made a plan for if this ever happened. Smart five-year old.

I nod. That was the sign, I hope she remembers what she had to do.

The man catches it.

Oh MAKER, he caught the sign.

He glares at me. "What was that, little elf?"

"Uh, that was just.. I was only.. oh sod it!" Like a pebble from a slingshot, I bolt off the floor and swing my leg around. With a resounding whack, my foot makes contact with his face. Teeth and blood spill out from his screaming mouth. Maveria chomps down on his hand with her teeth and he lets go.

* * *

Two men and a woman come out of nowhere. One of the men comes for me in a direct approach that I easily block and counterattack with a swift punch to the jaw and an almost equally speedy lick in the groin. He falls like a sack of potatoes. Two men down. A woman and a man to go.

Suddenly Hawke throws her ale high into the air and kicks it as hard as she can. It hits the man straight on the back of the skull and I see a bit of blood seeping out.

He grunts out a profane word that I don't catch and turns to fight her.

Leaving me the woman.

* * *

She strikes at me like a bull, which catches me off guard. Only for a moment.

But that moment was enough for her.

* * *

I feel a sharp pain in my side, then in my chest. I almost double over. But I force my eyes to stay open, my legs to keep straight, my brain to keep working.

I punch her in the face, but she catches my arm and twists. And Maker, does she twist, and damn, it hurts. I force myself not to scream. My vision starts to blur. Red covers my eyes.

Somehow, my leg swings up and makes contact with her hand, and she lets go.

But then the flashes come.

First everything is blurry, but then something happens. I see an elf.

Her hair is black as night, her skin pale as snow, her eyes are as black as the night flecked with gold. Suddenly she disappears, and I see five children playing in a field on a moonless night. Then, out of nowhere, a fire bursts up, but the children don't run away; they stare at it until with a great flash, something explodes and illuminates their faces with a silvery light.

Then one of the older children comes forward and touches the fire. He immediately turns black and falls over dead. Another older one touches the fire almost an instant after the first, and the same happens to her.

But she doesnt' die. She screams and chokes, punches and kicks and writhes until she falls over, sobbing. A bearded man with an earring in one ear carries her away.

Then I notice that the last older has seen none of that because she wasn't really 'there', and she's hitting someone with a sword. The background clears up and I see a red-haired elf huddled over on the floor.

Then the scene stops, and I see her walking away with the same bearded man who took the other girl.

The last two children stand in front of the fire, and I realise that those children are Maveria and I.

I scream at the fire and curse it for taking away the older children, though I didn't know who they were as in my vision their faces were covered with a black mist.

I scoop Maveria up in my arms and _run._ We sprint over fields. We dash through thick woods. Somehow, we gracefully thunder over moonlight lakes, though I don't see the moon anywhere.

Suddenly I fall forward into a hole that opens in front of me. I hear screams.

Then everything goes dark.


	5. Chapter 5: We're gonna need more food

**A/N: Yes yes yes, I know I'm late with this but I didn't really feel like writing until now. So here. Have a chapter. Also I have a soccer game in two days! Cheer for me plz!**

* * *

When my eyes open, everything is extremely blurry, but dear Maker, does my side hurt! I throw back the huge, puffy quilt that covers me in delicious warmth, pull up the side of my shirt, and I see a rough, bloody bandage. It smells weird. Then memories start flooding back. I remember Hawke, and Merrill, and a barfight. If I'm alive that probably means I won. I like winning.

I hear rustling outside of my room and see the fancy, golden doorknob turning. Maveria bounces in with a lady following her, holding her hand. At first I don't recognize my sister, because she's so clean. Her hair is wrapped up in a fuzzy looking red towel. The lady must have given her a bath. Mavvy almost seems to glow.

She bounces onto my bed and rolls around in the quilt, smiling and giggling like she used to when she woke Mama up.

"Sleep good, Ella?" She asks, finally sitting still and staring at me with those big, amethyst eyes of hers. I yawn.

"I slept great, considering there's a hole in my side." I grab her and pull her close, tickling her all the while. She screams with glee. She's the only kid I know who absolutely _loves_ to be tickled.

The lady chuckles and Maveria seems to remember her. She wiggles out of my arms, rolls off the bed, and runs up to her and grabs her hand.

'"Ella, this Miss Leanra. Hawke's Mama."

"Leandra, dear, not Leanra." Leandra corrects. She looks very well-to-do. I remember my manners (what few of them I have). Bowing my head, I politely say

"How do you do?" even though I don't give one about how she's doing. Honestly, since she's Hawke's mama I'll be polite and friendly, but I'm not sure I like her.

She chuckles. "I do just fine, thank you, but you don't need to be so formal. My daughter and I certainly aren't." Her show of friendliness takes me by surprise, but before I have time to ponder what motives might be behind it, she's already talking again, so I politely listen.

"Well, Ella, if you're going to stay here you'll need to be cleaner than _that_!" she says, " So I will show you where the bathroom is and you can scrub up in the tub. After you're all clean and dressed you can have breakfast and I can show you around, or Niri can."

"Niri?" I ask, "Who's she?" Leandra laughs just the slightest of laughs and explains. "Aniria Hawke. My daughter. 'Niri' for short."

I try to get out of bed, but my side hurts too bad and I more fall out than get out. Leandra picks me up with ease, and I'm surprised. She did _not_ look that muscular.

"No, no, I can walk" I protest, and Leandra gently puts me down.

"Come on Ella, I'll show you where the bathroom is." and off we went, Leandra with her graceful step, hand in hand with a bouncing Maveria, and me stumbling behind. An odd procession we were.

The water in the tub was warm but not hot, and it was filled with blue-hued bubbles. The bathroom smelled like fresh fruit and gentle flowers. It was all blue and green. It was so relaxing! Leandra had gotten a new, waterproof bandage for me so I could wear it in the tub. It felt wierd and jelly like.  
The bar of soap was a blue-green colour, and it smelled _delightful_. It also worked very well, I realized as the layers of dirt that encrusted me came of quite easily.

I scrubbed and I scrubbed an I scrubbed some more, until the once clear water was black and grimy. I pulled the plug and watched the water swirl down through the pipe with a _swish, gulp,whir _as I rub myself down with a fluffy blue towel.

"Step one" I say out loud, to myself, "Put on clothes." I wriggle into a pair of soft, grey pants, slip into a white, sleeveless shirt with 'The Amell crest' printed on top and what was obviously the Amell crest below it. It was very comfy.

Maveria pushes the bathroom door open without even asking if I'm dressed, and she's riding on a great big dog. It's a rather comical sight, a little elf on a huge dog. I don't like the way she's waving a brush around, either. By the devious look on her face I think she means to kill me with it.

"Come on Ella!" She shouts, "Hop on Lady!" I assume 'Lady' is the dog's name and I also assume it's a bad idea to 'hop on Lady'.

"No, I don't think I will, Mavvy." Maveria sticks out her tounge and pouts. Lady turns and walks away, obviously eager to do something. I follow them.

We end up in the kitchen, where I see a sleepy, wet-haired Niri Hawke in the kitchen wearing a 'Team Warden' shirt with a griffon replacing the _a_. The rest of the shirt is grey and she has black, stretchy pants on, too. She seems to be brewing some coffee or something. I also notice a rather large pan of many foods frying over a fire. It smells yummy.

"Good Morning, girls." Leandra enters the kitchen and immediately starts setting the table.

"Hi, Mom." Niri yawns as she fills up a big bowl with meat and dry, round bits of gross-looking stuff. She sets it on the floor and Lady starts gobbling it up.

A dwarf comes in, carrying a board that he slips into the table (to make it bigger, I assume) as he talks.

"Messere Hawke, Aveline is here to see you." Niri looks confused, but she tells the dwarf to tell Aveline to come to the kitchen and have some breakfast.

Aveline walks in, not wearing her clunky armor, but an outfit more comfortable. It was almost formal, too. Aveline smiles at me and she nods.

"Hey Aveline!" Niri says, "What's the occasion? Sit down, we're about to have breakfast."

"What do you mean, 'what's the occaasion'? Varric told everyone you told him to invite us all over for breakfast. You mean you weren't planning on having us?"

"So everyone is coming _here_? When?"

"In about ten minutes." Niri sighs and starts rummaging through the larder.

"We're gonna need a lot more food."

* * *

**Yes I know the mabari is supposed to be a boy but I named him after a dog I loved a lot, Lady. She lived for 16 years.**


	6. Chapter 6: Breakfast

**A/N: Hi. I like ice cream nom nom noms... *three hours later* Mom: Who ate all the frickin' ice cream?! Me as I wipe all the ice cream off my face: IT WAS THE DOG! DAMN YOU TAZ EATING ALL OUR ICE CREAM! Taz: Woof? Me: YEAH THATZ RIGHT YOU BETTER BE SORRY! Taz: *licks ice cream off my face* I just thought of something today whilst playing DA... FARTRAND! :P**

* * *

Leandra, Aveline, and me are all scurrying about frying eggs, making bacon and toast, and getting coffee brewed. The dwarf and Niri work on setting the table. Even Lady helps by bringing the food we make to the table. We set Maveria to watching the door, waiting for Hawke's friends.

Isabela is the first to come, and lucky for us, she's willing to help in the kitchen. She knows this awesome trick to get eggs thoroughly cooked in just thirty seconds! We might just be able to pull breakfast off.

We actually get all the toast and eggs and jelly out before Maveria bounces into the kitchen, with an elf following. When I turn to look at him, I almost drop the bowl I'm holding.

"Fenris?" I ask, shocked.

"Ella? What are you doing here?" He raises his eyebrows, obviously confused as I am.

"You two know each other?" Niri asks, breaking some of the awkward tension in our reunion.

"Uh, yeah." I stutter, "When Fenris first came to Kirkwall we did some mercenary jobs together and we stayed in the same hallway. You were right next door, weren't you?"

"Yes. You were very loud. I could hardly get any sleep" He says, with that familiar little half-smirk that tells me he's joking.

"You were louder!" I shout out with a grin.

"You two were mercenaries?" Niri asks.

"The best two they had!" I say with a straight face, even though I know that's not true, "We _would_ have been the best pair for years to come, but Meeran got pissed at me for whatever reason and they drop-kicked me out the door. As for Fenris, he probably felt my loss so deep" I put emphasis on the words 'so deep' and pat my heart heavily, and Fenris raises his eyebrows again "he quit and drank away his sorrows until he became an alcoholic, forgot everything, and showed up at someone's house insisting he was their uncle!"

Niri laughed a loud and bubbly laugh that tells me she's amused. I even fetch a few chuckles from Isabela and Aveline.

Our light banter is interrupted by Maveria coming into the kitchen with Merrill holding her hand.

"Merrill's here!" Maveria announces, louder than was necessary as I set a huge plate of bacon on the table.

"Hi, Merrill." Niri says as she puts a pot of coffee on the table. Aveline nods and continues making food. Isabela didn't say anything because she was visiting the privvy. I hope she washes her hands before coming back to prepare food.

"Hello, Hawke, Aveline, Fenris, Mistress Amelle. How's your side doing, Ella?" Merrill doesn't wait for me to answer and pulls the side of my shirt up to look for herself. I grunt a little in protest, but she doesn't pull down my shirt. My embarrassment is eased a little when Fenris leaves the kitchen to do whatever he left the kitchen to do. Creators, having a boy in the room when a girl exposes your wounded sides is a bit uncomfortable!

I can tell what I hear next won't be good when Merrill grimaces.

"I'm no expert in wounds and healing and that sort, but that hole looks very bad, Hawke. I'd recommend letting Anders check it out." Merrill pokes the bandage a bit. "Does this hurt?" she asks.

"Of course it hurts! I have a hole in my body and you're jabbing at it with your fingers!" I cry out. Merrill stops poking me and pulls my shirt down.

"Sorry." She offers and shrugs.

"I tried wrapping it up and pouring that stuff in the health poultice on it." Niri says as she puts some jugs of milk on the table. "It didn't work?"

A blonde man laughs as he enters the kitchen.

"Hawke, you are the poorest excuse of a mage healer I've ever met. And I've met a lot of bad healers in my lifetime. You don't 'pour' a heath poultice on a wound, dumb a-"

"Language, please. We have a young child here!" Leandra moans. "Honestly, Niri, you could have chosen better behaved friends."

"Ugh, Anders" Niri moans, "Give me a break! I'm new to this healing stuff."

"Obviously." Anders retorts with a sideways grin. Their friendly banter was interrupted by a dwarf walking in.

"I see everybody got here before me. Glad to see the older one's up and about. I was a bit worried you would try to heal her, Hawke. Your healing is about as much of a death sentence as an exile to the Deep Roads."

"Hey! I'm not that bad." Niri sighs. "Okay, maybe I am, but that's no reason to make fun of me, Varric." Niri finishes her little oppression speech with a pout and puppy eyes as everybody sat down at the table. Leandra said the prayers.

I opened my eyes to see that everyone elses eyes were open, too. Well, except for Bohdahn's and Leandra's. I bit my lip to keep from giggling as people poked each other and made faces. I could tell Merrill was struggling to keep it in, too.

Suddenly a snicker escapes from my throat, and I quickly disguise it as a sneeze. Everybody starts shaking out of laughter and Merrill looks like she might explode if she doesn't get at least _some_ of the giggles out. To everybody's relief Leandra soon says 'Amen' and they try to look more sober, so as not to arouse suspicion.

"Before we eat, I have an announcement." Niri stands and clears her throat. "I'm sure you've all noticed the elves sitting next to me by now. If you haven't, you're either as blind as a nug, or you're just completely oblivious. The older one on my right is Ella, and the younger one on my left is Maveria."

"Hi!" Maveria shouts, loud as always. Taking no notice of my exuberant sister, Niri continues.

"Ella and Maveria, these are my friends. From right to left along the table they are Isabela, previously 'Captain' Isabela but without her ship, the title rings a bit hollow, Merrill, a Dalish mage, Aveline, who's the guard captain, so mind your behaviour around her, Fenris, our broody lyrium-tattooed warrior,"

"I don't brood." Niri took no notice of him and rambled on.

"Varric, everybody's favorite story telling, crossbow wielding dwarf, and Anders, our mage healer who used to be a Warden. And that's our merry band of misfits! Any questions?"

I shrugged. "I guess not."

This was going to be a fun group to get to know.

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**A/N#2: Yeah, I know what you're thinking, Fenris wouldn't be that nice and sociable, but I didn't feel like writing a broody I-hate-you-all-I-was-a-slave character. So I thought, 'What would make FenFen more sociable and happy?' and then poof! Idea. Mercenary! Mercenaries are fun, right? Everybody loves Mercenaries! If you don't like it you can complain to me and I'll see what I can do.**


	7. Chapter 7: Wrong Potion

**A/N: Study hall/library is officially AWESOME! I laughed so hard I cried... SPLASH! *snigger* LOTR has orange sticker 'cuz of the bath song! It's a long story. Also, at this time, Anders and Niri aren't very good friends right now, 'cuz Anders and Carver didn't get along and her frame of mind was basically 'Yo, leave my brother alone BITCH. He's mine to pick on! Grrrrr.' Don't worry, if you don't like that she's cranky to Anders at times, she gets more mellow with time. Time is like the great iron. It smooths all wrinkles. Also, she's a tomboy, so to her, compliments are baaad, no appreciation for beauty with this woman!(Also, there's some juicy backstory that goes with that...) She'd be more flattered if someone remarked on how it was amazing how far she could spit. She can spit pretty far.**

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Breakfast had gone pretty well, except for the time Maveria went berserk for no reason and started pelting toast at Anders. Thankfully, it was unjellied toast and it was a bit easier to clean up.

I would've gone back to bed after all the dishes were done, but Niri didn't let me. She grabbed my wrist, practically dragged me over to Anders, and said "Fix her."

"What's the problem?"

"What does it look like the problem is?" Niri picked me up with ease (She did so gently, as to not injure me farther) and pulled up my shirt, revealing my giant wound. It had reopened since breakfast and blood was streaming out. It was pretty gross. "Does that answer your question?" She set me down again and folded her arms. Anders sighed. "I'd help, but I should get back to the clinic. Besides, you're a mage, you take care of her." Niri glares at him so fiercely I thought he might just start melting under the intensity. Anders shifts uncomfortably.

"Don't make me hurt you... for all you know, you could just spontaneously combust. Not that I would suggest that has anything to do with the matter at hand." Her glare softens and she smiles sweetly. "I'll use puppy eyes." Anders threw up his hands.

"All right, I submit. Just don't use the puppy eyes. They make you look too cute and adorable."

"Did you just call me 'cute'?" Niri scowls.

"Uhhh... no, of course not. I think I'll just go over there for a second."

"Just go up to the top floor when you get done being scared of me and are ready to heal . Second room on the right. I'll go get that bag of potions and stuff out of the basement." Niri ran off, presumably to get the potions and stuff out of the basement. Isabela showed up out of nowhere and taps me on the shoulder. She laughs as I scream out of surprise.

"Hi, Isabela. Is there a reason you had for scaring me out of my wits?" Isabela shrugs.

"No, not really. I can show you what room is the healing room if you want." I nod and follow Isabela.

"Niri's house has a room just for healing?"

"Yup." She nodded. "Sometimes it doubles as a brewery. Only if the stash runs out, though." We continue in silence for a while as I marvel at how grand Niri's mansion is. How do they remember where everything is?

"You seem to know the house pretty well." I remark, breaking the silence.

"We all do. Niri lets us sleep here when we want. She's good like that."

"Don't you have homes of your own."

"Well, yes. But to be honest, we all are pretty badly off in the housing department."

"How so?" I ask, my curiosity not really aroused. I don't want to hear about everybody's housing crisis, I just don't want to continue in the almost eerie silence.

"Varric and I live in a tavern, Anders lives in his clinic in Darktown, Merrill has a hovel in the alienage,"

"So that's where I saw her! I knew she looked familiar!" Isabela continues in spite of my interruption.

"Fenris lives in a mansion, but that place is a shit hole if I ever saw one, and Aveline lives in the guard barracks. Niri's the only one who's really risen above her previous status- well, I guess there's Aveline, but shit, I'd rather be a rich girl sitting pretty on a pile of gold than be a guard-captain sitting on a pile of crime and complaints."

"At least you guys have houses. I've been homeless my whole life."

Awkward silence.

"Well... that's not good." You know those weird conversations you have when you say something that makes someone else a little bit uncomfortable? Yeah, that's where this conversation was going. Awkward, and getting awkwarder.

"No, I guess it's not."

You cannot believe how relieved I was to see Niri bounding up around the corner, putting an end to that talk.

We turned to the right into a small room that smelled like cheese and potions. It had a large bed right in the center, a lot of tables full of medical supplies next to it, a rug, and a few paintings. I couldn't tell where the cheese smell was coming from.

"Lay down on the bed." I do as Niri commands, and jump onto it. I immediately regret doing so as my side explodes into a fiery pain-fest. "I need you to drink this potion. It's supposed to make you go to sleep. Anders said so." Niri hands me a small potion bottle with an orange-like substance in it.

"Okay," I say, taking the potion, "I'll trust the doctor." I uncork the bottle, take a whiff of it, and decide that if it tastes as bad as it smells, I'm not going to drink it. One tentative sip is all I need to make me start coughing.

"This stuff tastes like shit!" I quickly down the rest of it and almost instantly, everything goes really blurry. I stay awake long enough to hear, "No, that's the wrong potion!" before I lapse into unconsciousness.


	8. Chapter 8: Truer Words Were Never Spoken

**A/N: Okay. So hi. Nothing really happened in the last few days except we had the tournament and the end result of that was painful. **

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The first noise I hear when I come back into consciousness is the sound of birds tweeting and pages flipping. And a slight second after that, the ringing in my ears. My throat feels dry, I have a headache, and there's a bad aftertaste in my throat that tastes like moldy cabbage. But I'm warm, at least. It could be worse.

As I roll over in bed, I hear a scream. I can't figure out where it's coming from. Then the darkness comes and consumes my mind.

Through the blurriness, I can make out two figures. As the mist clears, I can tell one is me, but who is the other?

I walk forward and ripples emerge from under my feet, as if I'm walking on a clear, still lake.

I see myself fall on my knees before the other figure, grasping at the figure's skirt. I can't tell why. Worshipping, perhaps? But I wouldn't do that, I'm ultra-super irreligious, so that doesn't make sense. And why would I revere anyone still alive? I'm not a dwarf, and I don't believe that Paragon-sort of worship-the-living-people crap.

I come closer and see the other figure, a woman, I can now tell, kneeling down and cradling my head in her shoulder. I can tell I'm crying now; the sobbing noises give that away. But why? This vision is all one big puzzle. Not that the others weren't, but still.

I'm right in front of them now, but they don't notice me. The other woman begins to speak.

"Hush, Ella. I know your pain. But now is not the time for sorrow! You must strike and take revenge." The woman's voice cracks and I can tell someone died that both of them were close to.

My figure fades, and the woman turns to me.

"And you, Ella, the visitor to the Fade," Oh, so I was in the Fade? Okay, what the world is going on? I'm no mage! How did I get here? The woman starts to speak again and I direct my attention to her words. "You know me, but do not recognize me. Perhaps that is for the better, but I digress. You must help me. Accept your true heritage, and strike at your enemies with the speed of a thousand white stallions! Your journey will bring you pain and you will sacrifice much, but there will be joy."

"Niri!" I cry, as I finally recognize the spirit figure.

"I am indeed Aniria, and yet I am not. I am a denizen of the Fade and of your world both. I am alive, and yet I am dead. I am sorrowful always, but also hold much joy in my heart. I am human, and spirit. I shall come when you need me most; and vanish when you want me most. My nature is both kind and cruel; I am doomed to be such. But know this; I shall never fail you. I will be there when no one else is and you must let go of your guardian's hand."

With that, the vision fades and I return to the real world. My pain is gone and I feel better than I have in a long time. I decide not to puzzle about the vision, today is a nice day and I can enjoy it much better without an unanswerable question floating around in my head.

I jump out of bed and the first thing I see is the dwarf, what was his name? Oh yeah, Varric. The first thing I see is Varric sitting over a book with a pen in hand.

"Good morning!" I say cheerfully, and flash one of my toothy smiles at him. He doesn't even look up.

"G'morning." He replies in a relatively uninterested tone.

"So, lovely day today, isn't it?" Maker, that's how all bad conversations start. Questions about the weather. I shouldn't have said anything.

"Yup. Just beautiful. Makes me glad I don't live in Orzammar. Rather have sunshine than mineshafts." Still disinterested, still hasn't looked up.

I pick up a hairbrush and run it through my fresh, clean hair. Niri or Leandra must have cleaned it while I was out cold. They must have brushed it afterward, as well, it was surprisingly snarl-free.

"So, where's Niri? And Maveria?"

"They went out to do some shopping with Hawke's mom. They left my here to babysit, if you woke up. Now that you're awake, I guess I have to feed you." He says as he closes his book.

"I could stand to get dressed first."

"Fine, get dressed. Don't wear anything too fancy, though. We're gonna go on an adventure." He stands up to leave.

"What do you mean 'adventure'?" I ask, as I sort through the dresser full of clothes.

"Tour of the town. Y'know, show you the neighbor hood and stuff."

"A tour is hardly an adventure." I grunt as I pull out some clothes that look comfortable for city-exploring.

"In this city, everything is an adventure." He calls out over his shoulder as he shuts the door to my room.

Truer words were never spoken, as I would soon find out.

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**A/N: Shorter chapter this time Sorry about that. Just seemed like a good place to end.**


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